Door latch and lock



June l5, 1965 G. WARTIAN 3,188,840

-DOOR LATCH AND LOCK 'Filed Nov. 4, 196s 2 sheets-sheet 1 June 15, 1965 Filed Nov. 4, 1965 G. WARTIAN DOOR LATCH AND LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35W/MM fumar United States Patent O 3,188,840 DOOR LATCH AND LOCK George Wartian, East Detroit, Mich., assignor to Wartian Lock Company, St. Clair Shores, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 321,176 4 Claims. (Cl. l0-146) Thisk invention relates to a door latch particularly adapted for use on screen doors or storm doors, and has particular reference to a new and improved latch mechanism comprising a sliding latch pin which is cooperable with a strike plate for latching the door in its closed position. The latch mechanism also includes irnproved lock means for locking the door manually from the inside of the door and through a key-operated lock means from the outer side.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved latch mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door latch having a new and improved latching mechanism.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there are two sheets, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

ln the drawings:

FIG. l is an elevational View of the latch mechanism applied to the inner side of a door;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3 3 of FlG. 2 and showing the latch mechanism in its unlocked condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the locked position of the locking means;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational View of the latch mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view showing the latch mechanism applied to a door.

The latch mechanism of the present invention is particularly suited for use on a metal screen door or the like indicated at 10 and engageable with a door jamb 12 in the closed position of the door. The latch mechanism includes a casing 14 adapted to be secured to the inner side 16 of the door 10 and a casing 1S secured to the outer side 2t) of the door. The casing 14 is provided with an end wall 22 having integral flanges 24 seated against the inner side 16 of the door. The casing is further provided with top and bottom walls 26 and 28 and is open at the side thereof facing the strike plate 3) which is mounted on the door jamb 12. An operating handle 32 is pivotally mounted in the casing 14 on a pin 34. The handle 32 is generally L-shaped and has a portion 36 adapted to seat against the side wall 3S of the casing 14 and an inner end portion 40 disposed within the casing 14.

The top and bottom walls 26 and 28 of the casing '14 are provided with guide slots 42 disposed perpendicularly to the open side of the casing 14. A latch pin 44 has its opposite ends slidably received within the guide slots 42 and is adapted for sliding movement toward and away from the strike plate 30. A spring 46 is disposed within each of the guide slots 42 and engages the latch pin 44 at one end and has its other end coniined within ice a recess in a boss 48 formed on the casing 14. The inner end portion 40 of the operating handle 32 is provided with spaced cam portions 50 which engage the outer surface of the latch pin 44 adjacent the ends thereof. The cam portions 50 of the handle 32 retain the latch pin 44 within the guide slots 42.

The strike plate 39 is provided with a keeper 52 having a cam surface 54 thereon adapted to be engaged by the central portion of the latch pin 44 when the door is swung to its closed position. The cam surface 54 on the keeper 52 will force the latch pin 44 inwardly against the spring 46 until the latch pin clears the keeper S2 and engages the back face 56 of the keeper to latch the door in its closed position. When it is desired to open the door from the inside, the handle 32 is swung in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 so that .the cam surfaces 50 on the inner portion 40 of the handle retract the latch pin 44 inwardly along the guide slots 42 until the latch pin is able to clear the keeper 52 so that the door can be opened.

The casing 18 has a surface 6) seated against the outer side of the door and provided with a pair of internally threaded bosses 62 extending through apertures in the door. Screws 64 extend through apertures 66 in the flanges 24 of the casing 14 and through apertures in the door to be threaded into the tubular bosses 62 on the casing 1S for securing both of the casings 14 and 18 to the door. The casing 18 is provided with an integral handle portion 68.

The casing 18 is provided with a recess 70 opening from the wall 6? and a square aperture 72 in the opposite Wall of the casing. A manually operable push button 74 is slidably received within the square aperture 72 and is provided with lateral anges 76 engageable with e the outer wall of the casing 18. A plunger 78 having an enlarged cup-shaped head t) engages the inner end of the push button 74, and a spring 82 is conned between the lateral ilange S4 of the head 80 and the outer side of the door to urge the plunger 78 and the push button 74 outwardly.

The end wall 22 of the casing 14 is provided with a circular aperture 92 and a locking member 90 is rotatably mounted within the aperture 92. The locking member is provided with a lateral extension or operating handle 94 by means of which the locking member 90 may be rotated between its locked and unlocked positions. The end wall 22 of the casing 14 is recessed as indicated at 96 in FIG. 6 to permit rotation of the locking member between locked and unlocked positions. The inner surface 98 of the locking member 9) is provided with a pair of grooves 160 and 192 which are cooperable with a leaf spring 164 mounted on the wall 22 by a rivet 106 to retain the locking member 90 in eithery the locked position shown in FIG. 4 or the unlocked position shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The inner end 98 of the locking member 90 is provided with a segment-shaped projection 108 which may be moved into and out of the path of movement of a lug 110 formed on the operating handle 32. When the locking member is in the unlocked position shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the projection 198 is clear of the path of movement of the lug 110 so that the operating handle 32 may be rotated about its pivot pin 34 to retract the latch pin 44. When the locking member 9i) is rotated to the locked position shown in FIG. 4, the projection 198 is disposed in the path of the lug 110 so that the operating handle 32 cannot be rotated to disengage the latch pin 44 from the keeper 52.

The locking member 91B is provided with a tubular stem 112 extending through an aperture 114 in the inner side of the door and is provided with a square aperture 116 extending therethrough, The outer end of the plungern 78 is square and -is slidably received within the square aperture 116 in the locking 'member 90. The end of the plunger 78 is engageablewitlra portion 1180i the inner,

end of the handle member 32 so thatthe push button plate, a, pair of guide slots 74 maybe depressed to cause the plunger 78 to engageV the surface 118 on the handle 32 and rotates the handle. to disengagethe latch pin 44 from the keeper 52 to per-y mit the door to be opened from the outside. When the locking member 90 is in its locking position, the engagement between the projection 108 and the lug 110 willA prevent rotation of the handle 32 .from either the insideor outside of the door. Y Y A keyfoperated lock means may bev associated with the push button 74 to permit rotation of thevplungery 78 tov rotate the locking member 90 between its locked and unlocked positions. The key lock may .be aconventional cylinder lock indicated at 120 adapted to receive a key 122 and having a part 124 adapted to be rotated by operation of the key 122. The part 124 is of non-circular cross section and extends into the recess 1 26 of they cupshaped inner end of the plunger 7S. The recess 126'may have suitable ns or projections thereon engageable `with'` Vthe part 124 so that the plunger 78'will be rotatedwith the part 124. `The connection between the part 124 andv the plunger 78 is such that there is lost motion'between such parts so that the key may be rotated through a certain arc, for example 60, to rotate the plunger sufciently to move the locking member 90.between locked and unlocked positions and the keythenv turnedv back tothe' initial position to permit itto be withdrawn without rovv tating the plunger.`

In installations where it isnot necessary to provide' a key-operated lock for one side of the door, the cylinder lock may be eliminated and thevpush button 74 may have an integral extension comprising the plunger 78 which in this instance need not be of square cross section. Such modication will be apparent to those skilled in thel art.

While I have illustrated and described aV preferred em. bodiment of my invention, it is understood that this `is, capable of modification, and I therefore do notwish tobek limited to the precise details sietpforth but desire to,l

avail myself of such changes and alterations as vfall within the purview of the following claims.l

I claim: v 1. In a doorrlatch cooperable with a strike plate haf-ving a projecting keeper portion, a casing having an open ing in one wall thereof and adaptedto be secured to oneV side of a door with said openingY opposed to said strikef in thetop and bottom walls of said casing terminating at ,said opening in said one wall of said casing, a latchfpin having its opposite ends slidable within said slots for Ymovement toward and away from said opening, Va spring within each of said guide slots and engaging-one end of saidlatch pin for urging said latchpin outwardly along said slots, a'handle pivotally mounted, in said Vcasing and having an inner end extending throughsaid opening insaid one wall, said inner Y. slots and retractingsaid, latchv pin,V into, said casing upon` end of said handle having spaced ca'm portions engageableV with the outer surface of said latch pin adjacent each end thereof, forretaining `said latch pin within said pivoting of saidl handle, saidA keeper portionv of said, strike plate projecting -into said opening in said onef wallV of said casing and-said cam portions of said handle being adapted toy straddle andl pass above, and below said projecting keeperportion in the closed position of the door', the central portion of said latch pin being engageable with said keeper portion of said strike plate.v so as to be retracted into said casing independently of movementof said handle'upon closing of the Vdoor and. engageable with said.

keeperfto latch the door in closed position.

2.- A door latch according .to claiml including an op,- erating member adapted to bemounted on the other side of the door and ,engageable with said handle for pivoting l References Cited by the Examiner UNITED .STATES "PATENTS 2,726,533 12/55 Quinn 70-153 42,824,441 2/58 Wartian l v l70---150 3,065,624 1l/62 Friedman 70- 153 43,100,388 8/63 Wartian 7G-150 DoNLBY 1. sTocKING, Primary Emniner;` BoBBY B. GAY, Examiner.

`Turner Q --146 

1. IN A DOOR LATCH COOPERABLE WITH A STRKE PLATE HAVING A PROJECTING KEEPER PORTION, A CASING HAVING AN OPENING IN ONE WALL THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO ONE SIDE OF A DOOR WITH SAID OPENING OPPOSED TO SAID STRIKE PLATE, A PAIR OF GUIDE SLOTS IN THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS OF SAID CASING TERMINATING AT SAID OPENING IN SAID ONE WALL OF SAID CASING, A LATCH PIN HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDS SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID SLOTS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID OPENING, A SPRING WITHIN EACH OF SAID GUIDE SLOTS AND ENGAGING ONE END OF SAID LATCH PIN FOR URGING SAID LATCH PIN OUTWARDLY ALONG SAID SLOTS, A HANDLE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING AND HAVING AN INNER END EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID ONE WALL, SAID INNER END OF SAID HANDLE HAVING SPACED CAM PORTIONS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID LATCH PIN ADJACENT EACH END THEREOF FOR RETAINING SAID LATCH PIN WITHIN SAID SLOTS AND RETRACTING SAID LATCH PIN INTO SAID CASING UPON PIVOTING OF SAID HANDLE, SAID KEEPER PORTION OF SAID STRIKE PLATE PROJECTING INTO SAID OPENING IN SAID ONE WALL OF SAID CASING AND SAID CAM PORTIONS OF SAID HANDLE BEING ADAPTED TO STRADDLE AND PASS ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PROJECTING KEEPER PORTION IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF THE DOOR, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID LATCH PIN BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID KEEPER PORTION OF SAID STRIKE PLATE SO AS TO BE RETRACTED INTO SAID CASING INDEPENDENTLY OF MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE UPON CLOSING OF THE DOOR AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID KEEPER TO LATCH THE DOOR IN CLOSED POSITION. 